


hey jealousy

by whiry



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: 5 Things, Again It's Implied, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bipolar Newton Geiszler, Crack, Everyone Is Alive, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Implied Sexual Content, Light Angst, Light-Hearted, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Raleigh Becket/Mako Mori, Newton Geiszler Has ADHD, Newton Geiszler is a Dork, Not Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018) Compliant, POV Raleigh Becket, Raleigh is oblivious, Tendo Choi Knows All, aka my favorite thing to write, because i hate sadness, but it works out just the same, but it's more blink and you'll miss it, except he totally does, hermann cannot express himself properly, hermann gottlieb does not care, i did not watch it, mako mori is in the background but still knows more than raleigh, newt just wants to get laid, or lab partners with benefits, raleigh is the best
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-24 17:55:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22042021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiry/pseuds/whiry
Summary: "The first time it happens, Raleigh’s honestly just surprised. He’s only been at the Hong Kong Shatterdome for two days when Newton Geiszler, the little doctor with Kaiju tattoos that talks really fast and has a strange lab partner, comes all but running up to him, grabs his wrists, and says, in the most earnest voice Raleigh’s ever heard, “I need a condom!”Raleigh opens his mouth, but finds he literally has nothing to say to that."or, five times newt asked raleigh for a condom and the one time he didn't need one
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Newton Geiszler & Hermann Gottlieb, Newton Geiszler/Hermann Gottlieb, Raleigh Becket & Newton Geiszler, Raleigh Becket & Tendo Choi, Raleigh Becket/Mako Mori, as in blink and you'll miss it
Comments: 9
Kudos: 92





	hey jealousy

**Author's Note:**

> title comes from "hey jealousy" by gin blossoms. literally doesn't fit the theme of the story, but i was listening to it when i started writing so, here we are.
> 
> also, this kind of ties in with the first pacific rim movie (because i have not seen uprising and am honestly scared to) but diverges mainly because everyone is alive. that's all!
> 
> oh and all mistakes are my own! lemme know if something needs to be fixed!

I.

The first time it happens, Raleigh’s honestly just surprised. He’s only been at the Hong Kong Shatterdome for two days when Newton Geiszler, the little doctor with Kaiju tattoos that talks really fast and has a strange lab partner, comes all but running up to him, grabs his wrists, and says, in the most earnest voice Raleigh’s ever heard, “I need a condom!”

Raleigh opens his mouth, but finds he literally has nothing to say to _that_.

“Raleigh, it’s important!” Newt hisses, voice low and urgent, like a warning, like something serious is happening. He looks disheveled, too; his glasses are askance, his tie’s crooked, and his shirt is all wrinkled like someone’s been grabbing at it—

And, no, Raleigh realizes that he doesn’t need to know all that.

“I don’t have—” He starts, but Newt is huffing and jogging away from him before he can even finish his sentence.

_Weird_.

II.

Raleigh thinks there must be some kind of mistake. For the second time in six days now, Newt is coming up to him—hair wild, missing his tie and jacket, shirt unbuttoned so much that Raleigh can see most of the Kaiju designs that make up his chest—and asking, once again, for a condom.

Raleigh stares blankly at him, but Newt does not seem deterred.

“Is there—are you—?” Raleigh tries to ask, but finds himself lacking the words.

“I figured you, out of everyone here, would have one,” Newt explains hurriedly, like he’s got places to be. Raleigh’s sure he does, anyhow. “You know, given how hot you are.”

Newt says it nonchalantly, like it’s just some fact that he’s memorized or gotten used to, like everyone’s supposed to be used to it, but Raleigh wasn’t expecting it and always gets a little flustered when he gets compliments, especially when they’re unsolicited. Although he does appreciate Newt’s candor nonetheless.

“Oh, I—” Raleigh starts, but Newt waves his hand, dismissing the sentence.

“I tried asking the Russians, but I couldn’t find either of them anywhere, or Tendo, for that matter, and I didn’t even bother the triplets, and Chuck just laughed at me, and I’m a little frightened to ask Mako, if I’m being honest, and—”

“Did you ask Dr. Gottlieb?” Raleigh cuts Newt off, because he fears the guy could go on forever if given the chance. Newt’s face does this weird thing and then his cheeks get all red.

“Oh, yeah, no, he’s not—I can’t ask him,” Newt says, voice a little soft. Raleigh feels awkward, because he didn’t mean to make Newt feel awkward, and he clearly is, given how red his face is and how he won’t properly meet Raleigh’s eyes. Raleigh gets it though, because he used to feel weird whenever a girl told him how hot Yancy was, because, ew, gross, that’s his brother and he doesn’t wanna ever think about him like _that_. Newt’s probably going through that right now, or something similar to it.

Because Raleigh isn’t dumb. He realizes that as much as Newt and Dr. Gottlieb argue, there’s also a lot of affection between them. He realizes that Dr. Gottlieb, while throwing insults and snapping at Newt, also looks to him for guidance and occasionally nods along as Newt talks, every so often interrupting to add in his own data, and most of the time Newt just allows it to happen, agreeing with Dr. Gottlieb. And Newt also waits for Dr. Gottlieb when he’s been particularly slow with his cane, though he doesn’t offer assistance, because he knows that Dr. Gottlieb can do it all on his own, and Raleigh’s sure that he appreciates the silent help, though he never really shows it.

They’re like blood brothers or something; there’s an undeniably strong bond between them, and Raleigh would be an absolute idiot to not recognize it.

Still, Raleigh had, on several occasions, asked Yancy for a condom, and though Yancy had teased him, he always forked one over. Dr. Gottlieb would surely make fun of Newt, but Newt never seems to care anyway. Unless this time it’s important, like he doesn’t want Dr. Gottlieb to know or something.

Raleigh’s not sure he can hide secrets from Dr. Gottlieb, but now he fears he might have to.

“I’m sorry,” Raleigh says somberly. Newt gives him a weird look but nods.

“I’ll just ask the Marshal,” Newt says quickly, patting Raleigh’s shoulder once before hurrying off. Raleigh blinks after him, still unsure as to what exactly is happening.

III.

Raleigh’s not sure why, but he starts carrying condoms with him. Actually, he knows he’s just doing it to help Newt get laid by whatever mystery lover he has, and that he’s currently hiding from his lab partner, but Raleigh hasn’t slept around in a long time, hasn’t had a serious girlfriend since before Yancy died, and carrying around condoms makes him feel like he’s a young and ambitious Jaeger pilot, just starting out and finding his place in the crazy world, all over again.

So when Newt comes up to him, for the third time in just over a week, completely missing his glasses and his belt and tie, Raleigh just pulls a condom from his pocket and hands it over before either of them can say a word.

Unfortunately, Tendo is staying beside him as this happens, and he has to turn away to hide a grin. Newt doesn’t notice, instead laughing and snatching the condom from Raleigh’s hand, awkwardly punching his shoulder, before running away and straight into the doorway. He corrects himself and continues down the hallway, having not said a word.

Raleigh watches him go, still wondering what the fuck is going on, before Tendo loudly clears his throat. Raleigh looks over and at Tendo’s pointed eyebrow raise, says, “Don’t ask.”

Tendo laughs as there’s a loud clattering noise from somewhere down the hall and a muffled yelp.

IV.

Newt drifts with a Kaiju brain. Dr. Gottlieb is apparently furious, but the Marshal merely sends him over to Hannibal Chau without much thought. Raleigh hears the gossip from Tendo and worries over his newfound friend.

But then Leatherback and Otachi come through, the Double Event that Dr. Gottlieb has been speculating, and they send out everybody. They almost lose the Russians and the triplets, and Herc and Chuck too, barely coming back with a victory because of Raleigh and Mako.

Newt and Dr. Gottlieb drift with a baby Kaiju. No one is really surprised, though Raleigh has to say he’s not sure that Dr. Gottlieb would be the person to do that, to help share the neural load. But then he thinks of Newt and of that connection they have, and he can’t say he’s surprised either.

They end up saving the world, too, all of them. The Marshal and Chuck almost lose their lives in the fight and it looks spotty for Raleigh for a minute, but then he’s there waiting with Mako, their heads bent together, as the chopper comes to pick them up. When they get back, everyone is already celebrating. They welcome them like heroes, clapping their shoulders and pulling them into tight hugs, slapping them on the backs in a painfully good kind of way.

It’s not until they’ve been back at the Shatterdome for an hour before he actually sees Newt, who’s talking in hushed voices with Dr. Gottlieb, their heads close together. Newt’s holding a beer bottle, but it doesn’t seem like he’s drank much of it. He’s shaking, ever so slight but still present.

“Newt,” Raleigh says when he’s close enough. Newt turns to him and smiles brightly. His eye is ringed red, like the blood vessels burst. When Dr. Gottlieb looks up, Raleigh notices one of his eyes looks the same. For some reason, the sight makes Raleigh realize the burden the scientists bore. He wonders if they’ll ever recover from it. Drifting is difficult enough with a human, Raleigh can’t begin to imagine what it’s like with a monster from the ocean deep.

“Surprised you made it out,” Newt responds, pulling Raleigh into a hug. His grip is tight, tighter than it probably should be, but Raleigh just holds him back. He’s sure Newt needs it right now, needs to know he’s safe and that it’s okay.

“Me too,” Raleigh says earnestly. He wasn’t expecting the fight to go as well as it did. Newt pulls back and Raleigh smiles at Dr. Gottlieb. “Dr. Gottlieb, glad to see you’re looking well.”

“No thanks to Dr. Geiszler,” Dr. Gottlieb huffs, though he doesn’t look like he really means the words. “Drifting with a Kaiju brain, I mean _honestly_.”

“Oh, please, like you didn’t offer to share the neural load—”

“Because we couldn’t afford to lose another scientist—”

“—and drift with me because you—”

“Do you honestly not think of anyone but yourself, Dr. Geiszler? Do you bother to think—”

“—were scared of losing me—”

“Of losing a _scientist_! Do not flatter yourself, Newton!”

Raleigh sighs. “Okay, guys, hey!” They stop their tirade and glance in his direction simultaneously. “Look, I’m gonna go enjoy the anti-end-of-the-world celebration, so if either of you care to join me, that’s where I’ll be. We can talk about work later.”

Raleigh pats Newt on the shoulder once more and then disappears into the crowd just as the doctors’ argument starts up again.

When Newt comes up to him later, flushed and a little angry-looking, Raleigh looks at him once before giving him permission to get a condom out of the dresser in his room and wishes him luck. Newt flushes deeper and thanks him with a tight nod. Raleigh watches him go, trying to piece everything together in his alcohol-foggy head.

He misses Dr. Gottlieb follow Newt out of the room.

V.

It’s been a week since the world did not end. Raleigh’s been helping prepare the Shatterdome for shut down, which is not nearly as pressing and tragic as it once was. They’ll all have to find new ways to live now, but the idea is not as scary as it could’ve been. And if they’re ever needed again, they know how to find each other and have made silent promises to come if called.

Raleigh’s been tasked with helping clean up files and organize them into boxes. He’s not sure why the Shatterdome even has paper files anymore, but he does the work anyway. Mako stops by every few hours to check in on him, keeps saying how bored she is, but she disappears after five minutes for her next task anyway. Tendo helps him for two hours, but then realizes how boring the job is and hurries off with a call of, “Good luck, brother!”

He’s almost finished, about six hours in now, when Newt comes in, wearing his usual tight jeans and button down, sans a tie. He seems to be just glancing around, but he’s given Raleigh three meaningful looks without saying anything since he’s entered within the last minute, so Raleigh puts down his current file and looks up.

“What is it, Newt?”

Newt scrambles over and sits down, looking around like he’s got a secret to tell before leaning in so only Raleigh can hear.

“So, there’s this… Person that I’ve been… Hanging out with?” Newt makes a face at the words, but keeps going. “Anyway, we’ve been hanging out for a while and it’s been great, like really good, like the best hang outs I’ve ever had, right?” Raleigh makes a little face now, because he knows Newt is talking about sex—he’s not _stupid_ —and he’s not sure he’s prepared to hear about Newt’s sex life. “And now there’s this… _Thing_ between us and I think I know what it is, but I don’t think they do. And I want to tell them how I feel, but I’m all nervous and my hands get sweaty and my heart races. And I fall in love really easily, so like I’m not sure if what I’m feeling is real or if it’s just what I’m putting on them? I don’t know what to do. Also I need a condom.”

Raleigh blinks but reaches into his pocket and passes one to Newt, mulling over what to say in response.

“Are you going through your own condoms that quickly or are you only having sex like once or so a week?” He says dumbly, because that’s what pops into his head first.

Newt quirks an eyebrow. “Do you actually want to know?”

Raleigh pauses. “No,” he decides, then shakes his head. “Newt, if you actually like this person, you should tell them. It’s better that you rip off the band-aid and confess your feelings, rather than sit around and feel sorry for yourself and love them from afar. I’m sure if they’re smart enough to like you, then they’re smart enough to love you.”

“That was, like, weirdly poetic, but I dig it,” Newt says with a grin. “And they’re very smart. Like sometimes smarter than me.”

And that’s a lot, Raleigh knows. He’s heard that Newt was getting PHDs when he was 15 or something.

“Wow,” Raleigh responds, because he’s also not quite sure who could possibly be smarter than Newt.

“That’s the only way I like people, if they’re smart. Easier to talk to, anyway.” He holds up the condom. “Thanks, Raleigh, for everything. You’re pretty smart yourself.”

Raleigh laughs. “Of course, Newt.”

Newt walks away whistling, all of the nervousness from before gone.

VI.

The next day, Raleigh is loading boxes of files into one of the big shipment trucks, when he spots Newt, arguing loudly with Dr. Gottlieb about something Kaiju related, no doubt. He smiles to himself and heads over their way.

“—and that’s just it, _Hermann_ , you don’t realize how incredibly important this all is—!”

“Newton, I understand the importance quite well, I just don’t see why you—” Dr. Gottlieb cuts himself off when he spots Raleigh. “Mr. Becket, how are you?”

Newt turns and smiles at Raleigh. “Hey, dude. Having fun on loading duty?”

“You managed to get out of it?”

“Gotta use my big brain for something else, right? I mean, that’s why you’ve got all those muscles.”

Raleigh rolls his eyes, grinning. “Don’t sell yourself short, doc. I’m sure you look great without a shirt on.”

Newt laughs and opens his mouth to answer, but Dr. Gottlieb cuts him off. “Well, if you two are quite done, I believe I will—”

“Herm, don’t be a party pooper. Stay. Interact with the real world,” Newt instructs, slinging an arm around Dr. Gottlieb, except Newt’s, like, two inches shorter than Dr. Gottlieb, even with the limp that makes him slouch a little, and it kind of looks funky, but Newt doesn’t seem to care.

“Do you have no care for the words ‘professional setting?’” Dr. Gottlieb asks, but makes no attempt to move Newt’s arm. Newt merely rolls his eyes.

“Whatever, Herms, you’re all talk.”

“I’ve told you not to call me—”

  
“Yes, yes, whatever.”

Dr. Gottlieb makes a little _hrumph_ noise and pointedly looks away. Raleigh doesn’t know how he’s supposed to react to the situation, so he panics.

“How’d last night go, Newt?” He asks, completely forgetting that Newt’s relationship is supposed to be a secret from the disapproving Dr. Gottlieb. But this question instead seems to pique Dr. Gottlieb’s interest, as he turns to look at Newt.

“Your last night? Why is he asking—?”

“Everything was fine, Raleigh, thank you,” Newt hurries out, removing his arm from around Dr. Gottlieb and looking utterly terrified. Raleigh didn’t know that Newt was scared of Dr. Gottlieb finding out—well, he’s definitely not supposed to know, but scared? That doesn’t seem quite right—but apparently he is. He feels sorry he even asked.

“Oh, um, that’s good,” Raleigh tries, but he feels like he’s just digging himself in deeper.

“Why is he asking about last night, Dr. Geiszler?” Dr. Gottlieb asks in a disapproving tone, almost like he’s actually upset with Newt. Newt looks at him after a moment. “Did you—?”

“No,” Newt says, just as hurried as before, quick like he knew what Dr. Gottlieb was going to say. Either that’s just the connection they share, or that’s lingering side effects of the Drift. “But, actually, I was supposed to tell you… Well, I was supposed to tell you, but we started—we got _very_ sidetracked and you have a way of shutting me up, like a _really_ effective way—”

“ _Newton_!” Dr. Gottlieb scolds and, _huh_. That’s interesting.

“Oh, whatever, it’s not a big deal. Look, I—the point is, is that I was supposed to tell you last night, but I didn’t. I panicked and I just didn’t say anything and that’s not very conducive to life, if I’m being honest, my life and how I live and whatever. I guess I wanted to say that I—God, why is this so hard? Hermann, I really, really like you. Like, more than like. Like love.”

Newt’s facing Dr. Gottlieb now, wringing his hands but staring into his lab partner’s eyes, baring his soul.

It, belatedly, clicks for Raleigh.

“Newton…” Dr. Gottlieb starts, looking utterly sincere and sincerely lost. “Newton, I’m not—where is this coming from?”

Newt laughs, a little hollowly, and Raleigh realizes now how terrible of a position he is in. He absolutely does not want to be here while they’re having this… Moment.

“Hermann, we’ve known each other for a long ass time. It happened sometime around the beginning and we just… I never did anything about it. And then recently, I guess the more we realized that we might actually die, we’ve started becoming closer and it’s been so good, so, so good. Then we almost died for real and I realized I don’t want to lose you. And now we’re here and I’m still so scared to say something… I mean, I don’t even know how I’m saying this all now, it’s literally just word vomit at this point—” Dr. Gottlieb makes a face at that “—but I’m here and I’m saying it and I mean it. I love you, Herm. I’m in love with you. Have been for some time now. Kinda would like you to say something.”

Newt laughs a little hysterically as Dr. Gottlieb stands there in shock. It seems they’ve both forgotten Raleigh, but Raleigh’s scared that if he makes a move now, that they’ll spot him and then this little thing between them won’t be resolved at all. So he stands as still as possible.

“Newt,” Dr. Gottlieb says, and Newt beams brightly at the nickname. Raleigh’s never heard Dr. Gottlieb call Newt by his nickname before, so it must be a rare occurrence, given Newt’s reaction. “Newt, of course I—how could you think that I didn’t—of course I love you, you idiot.”

And it seems that’s all that Dr. Gottlieb is going to say on the manner, but it’s apparently enough for Newt, because he’s springing forward and grabbing Dr. Gottlieb’s face and pulling him into a rather passionate kiss, one has Raleigh turning his head away and up to watch the birds overhead instead.

He gives it about a minute of Newt making noises before he clears his throat.

The noises stop, so he assumes it’s safe to look back.

Dr. Gottlieb is red all over, but he has a small smile on his face. Newt is beaming, one of the brightest smiles Raleigh has ever seen, and he looks completely and utterly happy. Raleigh can’t help but smile back at them.

“Raleigh, thanks for your help, man,” Newt says, shoving right into Dr. Gottlieb’s space, but Dr. Gottlieb doesn’t seem to mind in the slightest. Raleigh privately wonders if he’s earned the right to call him ‘Hermann’ now.

“Yeah, of course. Glad you two worked everything out,” he says, like he’s known it’s been the two of them this whole time, like he didn’t just finally put it together. Although in hindsight, it was kind of obvious.

“And thanks for all the condoms, too, those were a big help,” Newt chitters.

Dr. Gottlieb—Hermann’s—face goes even redder and he hisses, “Newton!” but still doesn’t push him away. Newt just keeps grinning.

“Uh, you’re welcome,” Raleigh offers, giving him a tight, awkward smile. He points over his shoulder. “Well, I should get back to—”

“I might ask you for more in the future, but I don’t need one tonight, since we didn’t use the one I got from you yesterday—”

“Okay,” Raleigh says as Hermann says, “Newton! What makes you think you’ll be needing it now?”

“But—love confessions!” Newt protests, as Hermann starts to walk away in a huff, presumably a fake one, given the slight upturn of his lips, though Newt scampers after him all the same.

Raleigh is left standing alone and wondering why the hell this is his life, the sounds of their bickering fading in the distance.

Well, Mako was right after all.

Damn. Now he owes her $50.

He laughs incredulously, and heads back toward the shipment truck.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you all so much for reading! i just had this dumb little idea rolling around and decided to write it down. this is my first time writing for the pacific rim fandom so i'm a little nervous and hoping the characters come off well! 
> 
> again, thank you so much for reading! <3
> 
> tumblr: provokiing.tumblr.com


End file.
